N.Y. Jury Weighs Fate of Four in Death of Black

A jury began deliberations Thursday in the trial of four white youths charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of a black man who was chased to his death on a busy highway in Howard Beach.

The jury got the case after a lengthy charge by Judge Thomas Demakos, who spoke while a group of black leaders joined hands in the lobby of the courthouse and vowed to keep a vigil as they waited for a verdict.

After the death of Michael Griffith, 23, last Dec. 20, black community leaders called the case an example of the new racism in the North, and protests continued throughout the trial.

“I went down South to fight for justice; why shouldn’t I fight for justice in my own hometown, in my own home borough?” the Rev. Timothy Mitchell said Thursday.

Griffith was struck by a car and killed in the Howard Beach section of Queens when fleeing a white group that allegedly was screaming racial slurs. He was one of three black men attacked after their car broke down in the predominantly white neighborhood.

74 Witnesses Heard

Accused of causing Griffith’s death are Jon Lester and Scott Kern, both 18 and charged with second-degree murder, and Jason Ladone, 17, and Michael Pirone, 18, both charged with second-degree manslaughter.

The jury, which heard testimony from 74 witnesses, must decide the defendants’ guilt or innocence on a total of 28 charges.

In a last-minute change, the only black on the jury was excused because of an illness in her family. She was replaced by another black woman.

Defense lawyers tried to portray the three black men as unsavory characters who abused drugs and were prone to violence.

The judge also told the panel to consider the criminal histories of the two surviving black victims when deciding whether they were credible witnesses.